BOREDOM 13

Except for Jaeyoung, the tactic of retorting with “Why would Mr. Kwon Taeshin want me?” worked. By the time the opening preparations were finished, no one found yesterday’s events suspicious anymore. Stories about how Mr. Kwon Taeshin seemed to like sweets more than expected, particularly the whipped cream bread from Maeil Dairies, only passed from mouth to mouth.

When 8:00 PM arrived, the waiters in charge of hospitality lined up in step from the club entrance to the inner corridor. The manager walked in front of them, checking the waiters’ attire and hairstyles. Whenever he found a waiter giving off an unpleasant smell or wearing an unironed shirt, he kicked them in the shin and sent them to the back.

The dress code for parking staff was looser than theirs, but we still had to wear a uniform. Wearing a jacket, shirt, and slacks was not suitable for the month of November. Of course, it was deathly hot in the summer. At least in the winter, we were allowed to wear an overcoat, provided it was black like the jacket. Granted, there was room for debate as to whether my lightweight padded vest was black. The duck down was poking out here and there, and the color had faded so much it looked like a mottled gray.

“I keep telling you to buy some damn clothes, but you stubbornly refuse to listen. Why, no money? Should I buy some for you? You want me to buy you an outfit?”

I shook my head at the parking captain, who only talked a big game without any actual intention of buying me anything.

“I’ll wear something else starting tomorrow.”

“Yeah, please wear something else.”

The parking captain clicked his tongue as he said that, but it was doubtful whether he would be pleased with the parka I planned to wear starting tomorrow. That parka was also black, but it was just as faded as this one. Furthermore, because it was corduroy, dust was incredibly visible on it. I decided to use a lint roller on the parka tomorrow to make it look as new as possible. This was because I didn’t want to hear nagging about buying clothes all winter long.

A signal came through the parking captain’s radio, and he bent his waist at a 90-degree angle toward the cars crowding in a line as he led the greeting.

“Welcome! Glad to see you!”

The parking staff also bowed their waists in unison and shouted after him.

“Welcome! Glad to see you!”

Guests stepped out of the cars lined up along the road like carriages arriving at a party. While the waiters ran out to greet the guests, the parking staff began moving the empty cars to the parking lot. I was also waiting for my turn to move a car when a vehicle slid smoothly in front of me.

A familiar SUV, it was Mr. Kwon Taeshin.

I felt more troubled than glad. I had barely managed to explain away the incident of being summoned by him yesterday, so if he showed interest in me again, I would truly be at a loss for words. I just hoped he would throw me the car keys like before and act as if he didn’t know me. However, contrary to my hopes, he coincidentally rolled down the window. Then, without even getting out of the car, he leaned toward my side and called me.

“You there, come here for a moment.”

Since his gaze was clearly directed at me, I couldn’t pretend not to notice. Because he wasn’t getting out of the car, vehicles were piling up behind him. I had no choice but to approach his car and look inside.

“Did you… did you call for me?”

In response to my question asking why he called, he tossed something onto the passenger seat where I had poked my head in. Looking at it, it was his phone, which he carried around without even a case.

“Now that I think about it, I realized I didn’t get your contact information.”

“Pardon?”

“I should be able to contact you if I want to.”

I was completely speechless at the fact that he was demanding my contact info. I had interpreted the fact that he hadn’t asked for my name or contact info as disinterest in me. Since he was asking for it now, shattering that thought, I didn’t know how to feel about the current situation.

I conflicted for a split second while looking at the phone lying on the leather seat of the passenger side. If I gave him my number, I would have to take his calls even outside of work hours. It was a given that I would be pestered by those who wanted to know his phone number. I rolled my eyes and talked about something else.

“Would you like to get out first? If you give me the keys, I’ll put the car in the parking lot and then come back…”

“I didn’t come here to play today. I have no business here.”

“If you have no business, then why.”

“I just stopped by to get your number, so hurry up and save your number.”

I hesitated out of awkwardness. He watched me intently. Then, seeing me hesitate without picking up the phone, he lifted his lips into a crooked smirk.

“I wonder who was the one saying we should date, yet you seem to hate the idea of giving me your number.”

I couldn’t even talk back to his words and just raised my head to look around. Not to mention the parking captain, all the parking staff were busy glancing this way. Above all, because his large SUV was occupying the whole road, the cars that needed to leave were unable to and were getting backed up. Since it was certain the parking captain would have something to say, I had no choice but to bow my head and reach out my arm. As my body leaned into his car, Mr. Kwon Taeshin’s characteristic scent, an ambiguous, erotic fragrance, wafted over me.

I picked up his phone and turned on the screen. He hadn’t set a lock on the phone. It seemed he didn’t care if anyone opened it. It felt like a phone with nothing important on it, just one used for playing around. Whether that thought eased my burden or not, I opened the keypad and typed in the contact info. Then, I returned it to him without saving it.

Honkkkkk———————

Someone far back, not knowing the reason for the traffic jam, honked their horn. Despite the urging sound, he immediately placed a call to my number. He was acting meticulously to check if the number was real or fake.

Soon, hearing my phone ring, he hung up and asked as he saved it in his contacts.

“What should I save you as?”

Having asked that, he chuckled to himself as if making a funny joke.

“Should I save you as ‘Lover’?”

He sure is chuckling a lot today. Conversely, I felt like my mouth was burning up. I stuck out my tongue, licked my parched lips, and said.

“It’s Lee Wonwoo. Lee, Won, Woo.”

When I said it one syllable at a time so he wouldn’t be confused, he saved the contact with my name written in and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat again. Then he looked at me and said.

“Save my number too. My name is…”

“I know.”

At my quick retort, the smile hanging on his lips deepened. Then he showed the same meticulousness as when he called me earlier.

“What is my name?”

“It’s Mr. Kwon Taeshin. Kwon, Tae, Shin.”

“Call me Mr. Taeshin.”

Since the staff always called him Mr. Kwon Taeshin, Mr. Kwon Taeshin among ourselves, it felt awkward to call him with a proper title. The words just bounced around the tip of my tongue and wouldn’t flow out of my mouth. However, Mr. Kwon Taeshin looked like he wouldn’t leave until I called his name. Whether other cars honked from behind or the parking captain was anxious in the background, he sat calmly in the car waiting for my words.

I finally called his name.

“Mr. Taeshin.”

Just by calling his name, for some reason, my face turned red. Until just a moment ago, I had been thinking that I was nothing to him. But by calling him Mr. Taeshin, it felt as if he and I had become something. He must have noticed that too. He had called out to me while smiling mischievously.

“Mr. Wonwoo.”

I backed away in a hurry as if he had thrown something at me. Then, looking at the long line of cars, I said as if issuing an order to leave, “If your business is done, please go now.”

Whether he really had only come to get my contact info, he didn’t argue. He only left the words “I’ll contact you,” and rolled up the window. Simultaneously, he stepped on the accelerator and disappeared down the path that circled the club to the exit.

While Mr. Kwon Taeshin was talking to me, the guests who couldn’t wait abandoned their cars and went into the club. Because of that, the road was full of cars that hadn’t been put in the parking lot. Even though I knew I had to hurry, I was standing there dazed until I jumped in surprise as the parking captain shouted, “Lee Wonwoo, get your head in the game!” Then I caught the car keys he threw at me and started moving.